Because Pick-up Lines are Overrated
by Ayumi K. Sakura
Summary: I was always too shy to speak up for myself; Takagi was just too strange to do things the normal way. That's how I missed my chance with Azuki; That's why he resorted to Blackmail. "You like Miho Azuki? Don't worry; I'll keep your secret. If..." Uh-oh. "If?" "You do everything I tell you to from now on." "... Like what...?" "Get on your knees." And that's how it all began.
1. Takagi Akito

**Because Pick-up Lines are Overrated**

_A/N: I've always wanted to write for a different fandom than the one I usually write for. I made a new account especially for lemons, and this may just be my first fanfiction piece for it. This is my first Bakuman piece in general, because I couldn't find any ideas that fit the setting without including an OC. Well... I've found my idea. Welcome to the M-rated version of Bakuman- and it doesn't have very much to do with manga. ;)_

_Oh, yes... I forgot to introduce myself. I always do that when entering a new fandom. I am Ayumi Sakura; it's nice to meet you all._

_Shall we begin?_

_Brace yourselves._

* * *

**Chapter I:**

**Takagi Akito**

* * *

I've never really considered myself an overly attractive figure.

I have a face too round that makes me look cute rather than handsome, and wide eyes of a girly sapphire. My lips are too pink, my nose too small. I have, unfortunately for me, the features of a pretty-boy.

Thankfully, puberty has been working its charm; now, at least, I am taller than most girls. Or, at least, the same height as most girls. I'm five foot six, though I should someday be five foot eight. That is, if I get lucky. I'll probably only ever reach five foot seven, though it could be worse.

I'm rather skinny, though most Asians usually are, and my dark hair looks closer to navy in the light. I don't mind my many cowlicks as much anymore, especially since some of the girls last year told me they looked kind of cute. Since 'cute' is the only thing I've got going for me, I'll take it; it's better than being ugly.

My name is Mashiro Moritaka, though people don't usually call me by my first name. Such is the way of Japan; only those closest to you address you by your first name, without honorifics. I don't really complain about the name my parents gave me, though I don't really like people addressing me by it either. After all, I don't really have close friends- only classmates that I get along with, though they may consider me more.

At fifteen years old, I am only average in everything. I'm no athlete, nor am I in any way a genius. I can draw, and that is that. I'm really nothing special and no one knows my name. I don't stand out, but I'm not invisible. I'm only destined to be an average person my whole life, but I don't mind all too much.

I've never been a very popular person. I've never made the top ten grades in any test. On my high school resume, I currently have very little.

We're ranked as people in high school, and though people try to deny it, these rankings stick with us for the rest of our lives. Meaning, those who excel now will be the ones who excel later in life, while the rest of us get stuck with average office jobs. That is my fate. There really isn't much I can offer her.

She's perfect. She's beautiful, graceful, charming, and her smile lights up the entire room. I have never met any other girl like Azuki Miho. She is... an angel.

I saw her for the first time when I was in elementary school. It was our schools' annual swim tournament, and my school's team was against her school's team in the finals. Once the tournament was over, we'd all celebrate by swimming together in the public pool.

As both teams raced, I saw her way on the other side of the pool. She looked not much different then compared to how she looks now. She wore a light pink one-piece bathing suit- I remember -and she had a bobby pin sticking out of her hair on the right side. She was so cute, I couldn't help but just sit there and watch, like an idiot.

One can sometimes feel when they're being watched. She caught my eye, and... she stared back. We sat like that the whole race, just staring at each other shamelessly until the whistle blew. I don't even know who won. I didn't care. When it came time for us to swim, I looked for her and couldn't find her. It was as if she'd never been there at all.

I saw her again at the entrance ceremony for middle school. I'd thought of her almost every night since I'd seen her at the swimming tournament, and I think it was the fact that she really wasn't imaginary that fooled me into thinking I had a chance.

I was head over heels for her, even then, but not once during our three years of middle school did she say anything to me, nor me to her.  
Either she'd forgotten me, or she'd never noticed me to begin with. Or even worse, maybe she did remember me, but didn't think I was anyone important. Maybe I was the only one whose heart beat faster that day at the pool.

I sigh, pushing back a strand of hair. How can I pay attention to something as trivial as math when a girl so perfect is sitting only a few seats away?

She never notices me, though. She never will. I'm nowhere near good enough for her, but that won't stop me from admiring from afar.

She looks so focused. I wonder, does she even need to study to get good grades? She may not be top of the class, but she's by far smarter than I. Well... I suppose there's a good reason for that. I can't pay very good attention in class if she's sitting right there. My notes are filled with drawings of her.

"Shit," I murmur as my pen slips. Great; now there's a hair too long in my drawing. It looks nothing like her anymore. Just great. With a sigh, I align my pen to scribble the entire drawing out.

"Mashiro?"

Double shit! "Y-Yes?" My pen falls down to the ground and I can hear my classmates laughing at my startled reaction. It must be blatantly obvious that I wasn't paying any attention whatsoever.

"Mashiro-kun, could you tell us your answer for number seventeen, please?" The look on sensei's face shows he doubts I can. The worst part is that he's right- I can't.

"E-Eto... Question seventeen?" I pretend to leaf through my math textbook, as if I were at the wrong page. A cute little giggle makes me look up sharply.

Miho Azuki. She's looking right at me! Oh god... This is so embarrassing. But... her giggling is so adorable. I really hope I'll be able to see it again someday... just not directed at me. Preferably not.

Sensei sighs. "Takagi, perhaps are you able to help him?"

I hear him stand before I see him. "The answer to that question is 43.564, though it is asked that we round it up. The correct answer, therefore, is 44."

"That is correct."

Takagi Akito sits back down and my gaze lingers on him. He has thick, dirty blond bleached hair and golden brown irises behind stylish black frames. His chin is angular and he has the typical small Asian nose. He has a big mouth though- both figuratively and realistically.

He looks up and our eyes meet. I don't know why I don't turn away as soon as he catches me. Instead, I stare at him. It reminds me of the time I stared at Azuki at the pool; perhaps my staring is a habit I should work to overcome.

I can't help but find it slightly creepy the way he suddenly smiles at me. To any other person, it would have looked perfectly friendly, but... I'll admit, I'm a little resentful of Takagi-san. He has one of the most brilliant minds in the country while I have to spend hours studying to get at least seventy percent in a test.

Finally, pouting slightly, I turn away. I could swear I heard him laugh.

I do try to pay attention in class, I swear I do! But... it really isn't at all easy. I always find myself drawing or just daydreaming. My uncle always told me it was in my genes. See, my uncle was a manga artist. _Was._ It isn't an easy job. He used to tell me all about it, how manga was always just a gamble unless you were born a genius. Until he commit suicide, that is.

I didn't inherit my drawing skills from my uncle, though. My uncle drew a manga in Shonen Jump called Super Hero Legend, but the art was terrible. He'd always tell me I'd rise up someday to become a better manga artist than he ever was. I certainly don't think so; making manga seems more pain than gain. After all, it took my uncle's life! I'd rather stay alive, thank you.

I sit behind Azuki-san, but on an angle, so that if I lean over to one side I can get a perfect three-quarter view of her face from behind. It makes for a good model to draw from, though I long to someday do a frontal view of her face. I'll never be able to, though; I'm far too shy to even say hello. Sometimes, I wonder if she even knows I exist. I wish I could hear her say my name, maybe just once...

If someone would ask me if I'm content with my life, my answer would be yes. I know I can't get everything I want, and if Azuki is one of them, then I understand. My life may be only average, but I refuse to fight the way things are in fear that it will get much worse. I'm not the kind of person who looks hopefully towards the future, but I don't dread what tomorrow will bring either. I am neutral, un-opinionated. I'm fine to simply live until fate puts me in my place.

Without warning, something hits me in the back of my head. It doesn't hurt, and when I look down, I can see why not. 'A ball of paper...?'

"Psst!"

Did someone throw this at me? Deliberately? What did I do to deserve it? I try to subtly scan the room behind me. None of the students look suspicious but one, who is staring right at me and gesturing wildly...

I frown. What would Takagi-san need from me? He points downwards at his notebook and then jabs his index at me. "Hey!" he whispers, as if he doesn't already have my attention.

I can't help but make a face. "What?" I whisper back, maybe a little too loudly. The boy to my left looks up at me and follows my gaze to the taller boy behind us. He loses interest quickly, though. Nothing anyone else does is ever interesting enough for people, after all.

Again he jabs his finger at me, then points down at his notebook. He lets out a frustrated groan when I still don't understand. I've never really been good at charades... He decides to change his strategy. He grabs his pen from his desk and points it at me again.

"I...?" My hand rises to my chest and he nods. 'Moritaka Mashiro... what?'

He bends over his desk and mimes scribbling onto his notebook.

My eyes widen. Is he trying to ask me what I was drawing?! I couldn't possibly show him! Because if I did... he'd know of my crush on Azuki.

He points at me expectantly again, asking me if I've understood now. I bite my lip and send him a look that may have been a glare. Maybe. 'No,' I mouth.

He cocks his head in amusement. 'Why not?' he mouths back.

I can't answer that. My cheeks are already turning red.

I turn back around and discreetly glance beside me at Suzuki-kun. If Takagi-san could see me drawing from way in the back, then Suzuki can probably see the entire picture from where he sits right beside me! It wouldn't take him very long to figure out the girl I always draw is the pretty girl two seats in front of him, and he's such a big gossiper! He'd tell everyone!

I sigh in relief. As usual, he's turned the other way, chatting loudly with Akuno-kun. Good. I flip the page and start on a math equation- the first written in this notebook in months. Maybe I shouldn't risk drawing Azuki-san anymore; it's too risky. But... she's so beautiful, how will I be able to resist?

I have to concentrate on math. I have to get good grades. I _have_ to. I'll stand even less of a chance of getting Azuki if I'm last in our class. Or, rather, second last; No one can beat Suzuki's records.

**"Driiiiiiiiiiiiiiing!" **Oh, great. So much for listening to the rest of the math lesson. I doubt we were really doing anything important anyway. We were probably only correcting worksheets, and I haven't done them anyway.

"Stand," Sensei orders, and we all rise from our seats. "Bow." And just like that, we are dismissed. Good.

I shove my notebook into my desk and pack my pencils into my pencil case. I'm glad we get to leave. I don't really _mind_ school, though seven hours cooped up in the same cramped room can stress me out. I don't really like loud noise all too much, but in here, it feels like it echoes. I hate it.

As quickly as I can, I pack away my things and grab my bag. "Yo, Mashiro-kun!" I hear. "Wait up!"

Suzuki comes up on my right and tugs on my arm. "Not so fast, buddy! Where's the fire?"

"Ha!" Matsuda appears on my other side. "Yeah, right! You trying to ditch us, Mashiro?"

"Of course not," I laugh with them. "But who really wants to stay in school any longer than they have to?"

"Oh, he's got'ya there!" Matsuda cheers. "Case closed! Moritaka Mashiro-kun is the winner!"

"I don't think there's really a winner in court..." I say, but they ignore me as we exit the school doors.

"Dude! You know that one movie we wanted to see?"

"Oh, you mean the erotic one?" Suzuki asks, wagging his eyebrows.

"Hell yeah! The one with that hot actress, Kyouko Fujiko! Anyway, I might be able to get us tickets for this Friday."

"Even though we're underage?!" Oh gee. Those perverts... I roll my eyes at their excitement over porn. "Shit, sweet! Is your brother getting them for us?"

"Yep," Matsuda smiles. "Pretty good, huh?"

"Hell yes! Yo, Saiko, you're coming too, right?"

I shake my head. Ugh, 'Saiko'... I hate that nickname. "You know I'm not into that stuff."

Suzuki gasps. "No way... Is Saiko trying to tell us he's gay?!" He and Matsuda gasp dramatically. "It all makes sense now!"

"Shut up," I laugh. "Just because I don't feel like seeing naked girls on screen, doesn't mean I'm gay."

"Oh, riiiiight, we get it," Suzuki nods, a mischievous grin on his lips. "It'd be different if it were Aya-chan, though, right?"

"Ooh, you've got a crush on Aya-chan, Saiko?"

Aya Tashimoto is a pretty girl in our class, perhaps even the very prettiest in our grade! She's a brunette with long curls and big blue eyes, as well as big breasts (because god forbid Suzuki _not_ notice a girl's breasts). Though I do admit she's beautiful, I find she wears too much makeup for my liking. I prefer girls who are naturally cute... like Azuki.

"Oh, what's that blush on your face?" Matsuda again gasps. "Were you thinking of Aya-chan? What was she wearing?! Was she wearing anything at all?! Mashiro-kun, you pervert!"

"Oh shut up." Though I laugh, I'm just the slightest bit irritated. "I'm not _you_, Matsuda, and I certainly don't have a crush on Tashimoto-san."

"Aw, poor Aya-chan..."

"Whatever." Suddenly it strikes me, what's been nagging me since I left school. I'm too worried someone will take my notebook. Shit... "Hey, I forgot something, 'kay? You guys go on without me."

"Aw, Saiko! We're right at the station!"

"Yeah, can't it wait 'til tomorrow?"

"No, it can't!" I yell back at them as I start running. Damn myself for being so paranoid about these things...

It doesn't take very long to get back to school, thankfully. Maybe I won't have to wait for the next train after all. I run inside and start for class 1-D. Ugh, I'll look like such a loser if there's a club meeting in that room today... Maybe I should just turn back now. Matsuda's right, it can wait for tomorrow.

I'm about to leave when suddenly I feel some kind of tug inside of me. Have you ever gotten that bad feeling, like something has just gone wrong? I just have. Without thinking, I sprint for my classroom and open the door, to find it...

... completely empty. Wow.

So much for tha- "I knew you'd come back."

My head snaps to the left, where leaning against the back corner stands a tall figure. I guess the class isn't as empty as I thought...

He has thick blond hair and dark framed glasses; I recognize him immediately.

"Takagi Akito?" I ask, a little confused as to why he'd said what he had. I walk in cautiously. "Shouldn't you be at home cramming or something?"

"You think all I do is study?" he asked, and laughed. "Just because I'm top of the class doesn't mean all I care about is school." How arrogant of him to say something like that. He doesn't even try to be modest!

"Whatever," I mumble, and make my way to my desk. I kneel down beside it and start rummaging through. W-Wait... That's strange. It couldn't be that...!

"Looking for this?" Quickly I stand, nearly whacking my elbow on the table. Held between his thumb and index, Takagi holds my math notebook- the one I specifically didn't want anyone to see. He laughs at my reaction. "Relax, it's not like it's the Death Note."

"You stole my notebook?!"

"As you know, I sit in the back of the class," he explains with a smirk. "And because I'm in the back, I see everything. I noticed you doodling in your notebook rather intently... In fact, you're always doodling something in your notebook." He brings the book closer to his face and smiles. "Or rather, some_one_."

"You read it?!" No way! Oh no, no, no, please tell me he hasn't...!

"I skimmed through it," he responds casually, as he begins flipping through its pages. I feel like going over there and ripping it out of his hands, but instead I stand completely still and watch. "This is from today, right?" he asks, opening to a sketch.

There she is. From behind, Miho Azuki, in all her glory if you ignore the one too-long hair. Even though he's right- it _is_ the one from today -I say nothing. He smiles, taking it as an answer.

"The girl you keep drawing, she looks strikingly familiar. Let's see, long black hair with straight cut bangs..." he squints, examining it. "A small nose, small mouth, small eyes, small ears. Someone cute."

"I-It's not black hair, it's brown," I say, at least attempting to shield myself slightly. "It's... Aya Tashimoto." Shit. That was the first name that came to mind, and there's no way he'll believe that. Her facial features are bigger and her hair is completely different.

"Is that so?" Takagi-san asks, humoring me. "Strange... The angle is all wrong. Tashimoto-san sits far over there, in the front left corner." He points at her spot, then shifts so his index is pointing right at me instead.  
"You, on the other hand, sit right in front of where you're standing. The angle in your drawings is all wrong for it to be Tashimoto-san. If I had to take a guess..." He cups his chin in one hand, balancing the notebook on the other.  
"I'd say the girl you're always drawing sits about three seats in front of you and maybe one seat to the right..."

Wrong. _Two _seats in front of me and one to the right.

"That shiny black hair, I wonder if she straightens it every morning, or if it's naturally straight?" He's teasing me. "If you ask me, it looks a lot like... Miho Azuki-san. Don't you think?"

N-No way... "What do you want?" I snarl.

He laughs. "Easy there, easy there! Hit a nerve, I see?"

"Why did you steal my notebook in the first place?!"

He sighs. "Question after question... Don't you listen?" Why is he acting so casual when I'm standing here fuming?! "I've already told you why; I saw you drawing and got curious. So, because you conveniently left your notebook here, I decided to take a peek. I knew you'd come back though when I saw what was in it. That's why I waited for you here."

"If you waited for me like that, then obviously you want something," I snap. Why can't he just get to the point? Why is he acting like Sherlock, explaining his every observation? Why can't he just decide the verdict already?

"You're pretty smart, aren't you, Mashiro?"

"Don't flatter me. It feels more like an insult coming from you." After all, he's a genius! He must think he's better than everyone else around him just because of his grades.

"It's not an insult," he says, pushing up his glasses. "You know I want something. It isn't all that hard, really-"

"I don't have much money," I say, "and I can't think of anything else you may want. You might as well steal someone else's notebook instead, because I've got nothing."

"Of course you have something. You have your body."

"What?" What is he talking about?!

His smile... I never thought of him as evil before. But to do such a thing, he must really be a mischievous soul. "You'll do whatever I ask of you, or I'll tell Miho-san of your crush. Unless, of course, that isn't a big enough threat to you..." This is blackmail! What the hell is wrong with him?!

"Why me?" I ask. "You're making it sound like if Mi- Azuki-san isn't a big enough deal, you'll find something else to threaten me with instead!" It _does_ sound strange, very strange. He could have asked anyone, but he chose me. Maybe because he happened to find this, yes, but if I refuse... Why will he go to such lengths to get me to accept? Why can't he just trick someone else? Maybe because he doesn't think I'll tell?

Of course. I couldn't tell; If I did, I'd have to admit my crush on Azuki. He knows that. That's why he's so set on me.

"Why you?" He breathes in and pauses thoughtfully. "You're special, Mashiro. There's something you have that no one else does."

"A secret you've uncovered?"

A chuckle. "That too." He stands and walks up to me, notebook in hand. "There's something about the way you think, the way you dream, that I like about you. So? Do we have a deal?"

I hesitate. If people knew of my crush, they'd tease me mercifully. Suzuki-kun would bombard me with perverted remarks, and the rest of the class would whisper and laugh about me.  
And, most importantly... Azuki herself wouldn't want anything at all to do with me. I'd never ever stand a chance, hell, I probably wouldn't even be allowed to fantasize of her anymore! Every look I'd send to her would be noted and I'd get grilled over it by my classmates. I didn't want that. No way.

"What exactly do you want me to do...?" I ask slowly.

He grins. "Good. You are a smart and reasonable man, Mashiro-kun."

"W-What?! What are you talking about?! I wasn't agreeing!"

He cocks his head and smiles. It's then that I notice for the first time that he always wears a headset around his neck. "You asked me what I wanted you to do, which meant you were strongly considering, and seeing as I'm not asking very much, you've practically already agreed. It was good doing business with you, Mashiro-kun."

He tries to shake my hand but I jerk it away. "Shut up! I asked you a question!"

He sighs and runs his hand through his bleached hair. It looks like straw. It has to. He's ugly now to me, ugly! I can't believe I ever thought of him as admirable, ever! Obviously, good grades don't mean good personality!  
"All I want is for you to obey anything I command you to do. If I ask you to get to school early, you will. If I ask you to hold my bag for me, and your hands aren't full, you will. If I ask you to copy down a note for me, you will, though I'll let you use that sheet to copy an extra for yourself. Simple things.  
I won't ask you for money, because as you said, you don't have any anyway, and I wouldn't want it even if you did. Do you understand?"

Miserably, I nod. I knew even then that I was getting into something way over my head. I had a feeling he'd twist the rules to suit him. But I could never have guessed how much I'd be getting myself into...

"Shall we test it?" he asks, smiling. "Get on your knees."

I hesitate but lower myself on the floor, grumbling. It's then that I realize my head is parallel to his groin. Panicked, I glance up at him. "What the hell are you-...?!"

"Ah, you have a dirty mind." He smiles. "I wasn't planning anything like that."

I can feel my whole face turn red. Has Suzuki gotten to me? Am I really becoming a pervert? And yet I can't stop shooting concerned looks at the sight in front of me... My face is awfully close, I can't help being at least a _little _scared!

"Out of curiosity..." He bends over, bringing his face closer to mine. He's looking down on me with a smirk on his mouth, and his hands are on his hips, bending forward at the shoulder; the supreme posture of arrogance.  
"If I _had_ asked you to do what I know you were thinking I would, whilst holding this threat above your head, would you have?" His smile grows bigger. "Out of curiosity, of course."

I hate his grin. I hate how he's assuming he knows me. I hate his existence! "I'm not freaking gay!" I yell. "Of course I wouldn't have! I'm not **that** low!" But _you _apparently are, Takagi.

He chuckles and taps my head with something. "Here's your notebook back. Keep it hidden from now on- I want to be the only one who knows." I stand up as quickly as I can, hugging my math book to my body so he won't be able to take it again. "Look at that! I know one of your biggest secrets now." He grins at me. "I'm practically your best friend!"

"We are **not** friends," I hiss. Hopefully, we never will be. _I_ will never let us be friends.

"See you tomorrow morning!" he calls out as I slam the classroom door behind me. I wish it were locked, so that leech would be stuck in there until tomorrow.

That bastard! Not only does he steal notebooks, but he also blackmails and even sexually harasses on top of that! Ah! I will never wish to be like him ever again, no matter how high his grades are! I feel like punching him, but if I do... I shake my head violently. I can't do that. He'll tell my secret.

It's not until I've reached the door that I notice: The front of my pants feels tight.

My eyes widen. "What the hell?!" I hiss at myself.

I know they often warned us in health classes that during puberty, we'd get random boners at random moments, but... I mean, it's normal, right? Once I got a boner while dissecting frogs, and man, was that ever weird. But I don't get random boners anymore- only whenever I think too much of Azuki.

Self-consciously, I lower my math book a little so it covers the slight tenting.

'This is officially the weirdest hard-on of my life,' I decide, and try to ignore it as I make my way home. I still can't help but be bothered by it, though.

I'm now dreading the thoughts of what tomorrow may bring.

* * *

_A/N: Ahaha... Isn't this sweet? ^-^ Poor little Mashiro. But you all wanted this to happen, didn't you? I did too. I'm actually excited to write this. I can't stop thinking about it!_

_Alright, so... Look, I get that this isn't a huge fandom. I have another account on this site and I usually write for a fandom with, like, 10 000 fics. This one has about 200. So I understand this fandom may not give me many reviews, though I do see you like your lemons here. I'm hoping for at least four reviews, please._

_Oh, and... yes, this __**will**__ be a lemon. I just enjoy teasing you first. If you're lucky, I may__let Mashiro-kun touch himself next chapter. I suppose it depends on the amount of reviews I get... *wink wink*_

_~Ayumi Sakura_


	2. Cute

**Because Pick-Up Lines are Overrated**

_A/N: My, my... It took me a while at first, but I ended up getting even more reviews than I'd asked for! How terribly sweet; I suppose I owe you all now a little special something... Don't you remember what I promised I'd give? Hmm... Poor Mashiro. He's surrounded by perverts._

* * *

**Chapter II:**

**Cute**

* * *

'Really? Well I really like you too... I-I always have!'

She smiles at me. 'I'm so glad! I was so afraid you'd reject me, but to think you feel the same way...!' Her caramel eyes sparkle in such a way, it makes me happy too. 'S-So... I could have told you how I feel a long time ago, and you would have...?'

'Yes! Of course!' I couldn't have been any more enthusiastic. 'I've always loved you, Azuki, always!'

She cutely hides her face in embarrassment. 'I-I'm so stupid...! Why haven't I ever told you before? I was just so afraid of you rejecting me, that...'

Gently, I wrap my long fingers around her wrist and guide it away from her face. As if they're attached by strings, the other hand follows automatically, her beautiful face looking up at me hopefully. 'Don't ever call yourself stupid,' I tell her, leaning in closer. Yes! That was the perfect line! For once, I sounded heroic and macho instead of... well, instead of sounding like me.

She gasps and freezes, watching me carefully, and then suddenly her eyes flutter close when my face gets close enough to hers. Our lips are nearly touching when suddenly...

"BEEEEEEEEEEEEP!" Azuki screeches. Eh?! What's going on?! "BEEEEEEEEEEEEP!" My eyes flutter open and it shocks me to find no one in front of me. As I sit up, I realize I'm still in bed. What? So it was all just a dream? Damn it! I can't tell you how many times I've gotten close to kissing Azuki in my dreams. In reality, though? I'm too afraid to even be less than twenty feet away from her.

I sigh and pass my hand through my already muffled hair. My alarm is still screeching obnoxiously so I stretch my arm and press a bunch of buttons until it turns off. I have school this morning. Sigh... At least I'll be able to see Azuki. I'm about to get out of bed when I notice something rather uncomfortable.

I push back my blankets and stare at my lap in surprise. 'Well, _someone's_ awake already...' I don't know why I always act so shocked; it happens pretty much every morning. While I _could_ take a cold shower to make it go away, today, I'm feeling a little more... daring.

I tug down on my cotton blue pants, followed by my silk underpants. 'Now that, my friends, is a fine example of a healthy young man,' I think to myself. It never ceases to amazing how hard I can get from the simplest things.

I suppose I'm not 'big'. I'm of average size, which is basically like every other thing about me; average. I'm not wrinkly or gross, though. Perhaps it's narcissistic of me to say, but I think my dick might be one of the finest. Its tip is a rosy pink, a little bit of fluid already dripping from it, the shaft a nice pale shade but nice and smooth. I have no creepy bumps or strangely placed hairs or birth marks or anything. In fact, I never have grown hair down there. Perhaps that makes me still behind in puberty, or something, but I honestly prefer it this way.

With great hesitation, I lift my hand to stroke myself. I suppose you could say I'm modest when it comes to my body; rarely do I allow touching myself because I'm just too embarrassed to do so. Won't it make me a pervert if I do?

I suck in a breath as I trail my fingers down from tip to base. Nngh...! Without meaning to, I thrust myself upwards, which creeps me out to the max. I suppose I'm really in the mood today... Saying that creeps me out even more. Nonetheless, I decide to suck it up as I wrap my fingers around myself. It's kind of hot, I observe, as I quickly slip my hand down to the base.

... Oh shit. I can't do this.

Already I'm panting. Maybe I should just give up and settle for that cold shower... That'd be good. No, no, wait! I've started already, haven't I? I... I'd might as well finish... right?

It takes me extreme courage just to bring my hand back and I wince as soon as my fingers touch. I can do this, damnit! I take in a deep breath and try again, wrapping my fingers around myself. Then, ever so slowly, I slide my fingers downwards again. "D-Damn it...!" Up and down, up and down, gaining speed... I must say, it's ridiculous the way my body reacts to this. My whole body is trembling just because my hand is on my dick. It makes me wonder how much I'd tremble doing other sorts of things... Ah, I'm blushing just thinking of it. Bad boy, bad!

Again and again, I pump at myself, faster and faster, breathing so damn heavily. I feel like a girl, actually, with the pathetic little mewling sounds I'm making. How I'm aware girls make mewling noises, I really don't want to know... "Hnngh! Ah!" I feel like an idiot, but I can't think of anything else anymore. All I can think of is that it feels weird, it feels good!

Suddenly, without warning, it happens. "F-Fu- Ah!" H-Holy shit...! All over my stomach and hand now is this sticky white stuff- and yes, I know what it is, thank you. Gee, what a mess I've made of myself. What if Mom comes up to check on me? What would she say, walking in on me pantless and cum-stained? Surely I'd give her the shock of her life, and the last thing I want to do is kill my mother by heart attack. I'm no Light Yagami! Despite my laziness, I have to clean this up, **now**.

I have a Kleenex box on my night table, but never have I found it as useful as right now. Or maybe since the last time I permitted myself to be touched. Grabbing two or three, I wipe at the sticky fluid. Some landed on my mattress, so I hope I got it out okay. The last thing I need is for my ass to stick to my mattress tomorrow morning.

Finally I deem myself clean, promising myself to take a shower after school. I tuck myself back in (how awkward) and begin dressing into my uniform. Dark blue pants with a clean black belt and a white collared shirt under a navy emblemed jacket is all our uniform really consists of. It's what most boys' uniforms usually consist of, actually. Oh, plus the tie- you can't forget the tie.

I smooth it all down before simply brushing my fingers through my hair. I've never spent much time on something as trivial as my hair, nor will I today. Because it's short, there are no knots, and after replacing a few wild strands, I'm perfectly good to go. I've always wondered about boys who take longer than five minutes doing their hair. It's so simple, what could they need so much time for?

I cluck at my reflection and grab my bag from where it's waiting on my chair. Then, I rush downstairs. "Hey Ma, hey Grandpa," I greet as I sit myself at the kitchen table. "Good morning."

"Good morning to you too, boy," my granddad smiles.

"We're having waffles this morning," Mom says, dropping my plate down in front of me. "Eat up quick; don't be late for school."

"Mm-hm." Waffles, yum.

I'm about half-way through my second waffle when my mother calls for me. "Moritaka! Hurry up, your friend from school is waiting for you!"

"Eh?" With a mouth stuffed with food, that's about all the noise I can make. Someone's waiting for me? That's strange. Nobody ever waits for me in the morning. Maybe Suzuki forgot to do his homework and wants some answers from me. Wait 'til he hears I haven't done mine either. "Alright, I'm coming," I tell her after finally swallowing.

I bring my plate to the sink and hurry to the door, slipping on my shoes. As soon as I open the door, though, I wish I would have taken my time, or maybe not shown up at all. Maybe it's not too late, maybe I can slip back inside without him noti- Shit, he noticed me.

The tall blonde-haired male waves wildly at me, pushing his headphones down around his neck. "Yo, Saiko!" he calls out cheerfully, running up to me.

"How do you know where I live?" I demand. It's pissing me off to see him here. Doesn't he realize that? Couldn't he have left me alone? Events from the day before flash before my eyes. _'All I want is for you to obey anything I command you to do.' _That can mean a very many things.

"Saiko, Saiko, Saiko," he tsks, "you should know it's easy enough to find a person's address when you know someone's name. Haven't you ever been on the internet?"

"Sorry, I've never tried stalking someone before, so I wouldn't know," I snap. "And quit calling me Saiko!"

"This isn't stalking, Saiko," Takagi says, stressing the use of the nickname. "I just thought you'd appreciate me being here. You know," he smiles mischievously, "as a friend."

"You freaking faggot." I start walking without him, hoping he'll take the hint and go his own way, knowing he'll run after me instead. He does.

"Hey, what did I say to categorize myself as a faggot?" he asks innocently enough. I hope the look I sent him just then burst one of his ovaries.

"'Get on your knees,'" I quote, imitating him and wagging my finger 'suggestively'. "That's not gay at all, is it?"

"No, I was simply asking you to pay respect to me," he answers nonchalantly. "You're the gay one for having thought otherwise."

"I am not gay!" I yell out a little loudly. A little girl and her friend walking nearby stop and stare at me. "What is he talking about?" I hear them whisper.

Takagi only shrugs. "I guess not. Azuki Miho is obviously female, isn't she?" He sends me this wicked smirk that makes me want to punch him.

"Shut up!" I hate his stupid face!

"Why not practice our little _agreement_ right now?" he suggests, still smiling. "For the rest of the way, I want you to carry my bag." He holds it out to me. "Go on! Do it!"

"Carry it yourself!"

"You know, I happen to have Azuki's number on my cell phone..." He pulls it out of his back pocket and stares at the screen. "I wonder how she'd react knowing such a perverted boy lusts over her...?"

My face heats and I clench my fists. "Sh-Shut up! I'm no pervert!"

"Aren't you?" He cocks his head. "Well, maybe you aren't. You seem too innocent, now that I think about it." Should I even dignify that with a response? "Here, I'm asking you to take it. Do it, or I'm texting Azuki!"

I can't believe this idiot. I can't believe the freaking nerve of this guy! Mumbling as I do, I grab his damn bag out of his hands. He smiles in satisfaction, arrogantly lifting his chin.

"You know, maybe you really are innocent. You're definitely naive. Foolish, very foolish indeed... I doubt you've ever done anything perverted at all. You're probably too innocent to think of Azuki at all!" He laughs. "And then you're friends with someone like Suzuki... How ridiculous!"

My blood is boiling. "I AM NOT THAT INNOCENT!"

He smiles and begins humming some Britney Spears song that I somewhat remember having that lyric in it. "So if you insist you're not innocent, are you instead confirming you're indeed a pervert?"

"NO!"

"I see, I see. I'll just text Azuki right now and tell her Mashiro Moritaka pictures her naked in his head, daydreams about her without clothes on, spies on her in the change room..."

"That's a lie!" I yell. "I don't do any of those things!" He types away on his phone and I realize he's really doing it. My eyes widen to the size of saucers. "W-Wait... What the hell do you think you're doing?!" He just keeps typing and I start to panic. "Stop it! If you send that, she'll hate me forever! Stop it, seriously!" Without thinking, I swing his backpack at his hands. It knocks his phone out, which falls to the ground. Quickly and clumsily I dive to get it.

**Takagi Akito: Hi Azuki. :)**

I... am an idiot.

Suddenly the phone vibrates.

**Azuki Miho: Um... Takagi-kun? Where did you get my number? (LOL)**

"Typical you'd sneak around to get her number," I say. I still feel stupid for having believed him. "If anything, it's probably you who spies on her in the change rooms, you stalker."

"Yep, you got me there."

"What?!"

"A joke, Mr. Innocent."

"Shut up!"

"I didn't actually sneak around to get it," Takagi says, scratching the back of his head. "Her best friend gave it to me."

"And what did you do to get it from _her_?" I ask him sarcastically. "Did you blackmail _her_ too?"

"Nope. She gave it to me voluntarily." He smiles and pushes up his glasses. "We're childhood friends, so all I had to do was ask. She barely even asked questions."

"What did you tell her, then?" Though I doubt it was as simple as he claims it was, I'm still curious on how he got the phone number from her. "She must have asked _something_. What'd you tell her?"

For a few moments he doesn't say anything, only smiling smugly. So he won't tell me? Oh boy... What did this low-life do to her?! "I told her," he finally says, "that it was for a friend of mine. A secret admirer of Azuki-san, to be specific."

"WHAT?!" I spin on him so quickly I nearly fall. "You didn't dare tell her my name, did you?" Oh, he is dead, so dead!

"No..." he hums. He's obviously enjoying this, which only ticks me off more.

"You bastard," I mutter and storm off ahead. All he does is laugh. Doesn't he ever get offended?

"You're cute when you're angry." ... What? I look back at him but suddenly he isn't laughing anymore- though he's still smiling.

"You're teasing me," I declare, huffing.

His amber-colored eyes seem to gleam behind his thick lenses. "Am I? I'm only telling you the truth."

I glare at him. I hate having to look up at him- it makes me feel inferior. His blonde hair pokes up funny all over and his chin is extremely angular. He's not _**cute**_, and neither am I. I think for a moment and then realize that, if I look angry, he'll have more to tease me about.

Quickly I metamorphose from a scowl to a sarcastic smile, sticking my tongue out at him. "I'm not angry anymore."

He grins at me. "You look even cuter when you smile." Fuck this, I'm angry. "Can't you accept a compliment?"

"I'm not **cute**, damn it!"

He thinks for a moment. "You're pretty sexy when you're angry."

He's trying to get a rise out of me. Damnit, I can't give him any satisfaction! I'll just ignore him. If I ignore him, he won't bother me any more... "You don't mean that," I say. Surely he'll admit he doesn't and then the conversation will end. Yes, it's that simple!

"I completely mean it," he declares, coming up to my side. "I wouldn't dare lie to you, Mashiro-kun."

"Shut up. I know you don't mean it!"

"Oh, but I do." He brushes a lock of my hair out of my face, leaning closer and smiling devilishly. "If you want me to say it again, you need but ask." He leans in and whispers in my ear, "You're sexy when you smile, Mashiro-kun."

Oh god. Oh gee. My face- My face is burning red! Ah, why did he have to go say something so stupid?! I push him roughly off me. "Shut up! You're just pulling my leg and I don't like it. And here!" I shove his bag back into his arms. "Carry your own stupid bag!"

"Oh Azuki!" he calls out to the sky. "There's something I have to tell you~!"

"ARGH!" I hate this guy. I truly hate this guy. I hate him and I always will.

Somehow this sounds like a challenge for both him and myself.

* * *

"We're changing seats today!"

Thank goodness, I think. Hopefully I'll be as far as possible from stupid Takagi.

"Pick a number and sit at your assigned seat immediately," Sensei instructs. "I expect you all to be quiet and responsible- even you, Suzuki!" He's met with a chorus of chuckles from my classmates.

I've always been neutral when it comes to seat changes. I don't really mind, nor do I particularly care. This time, though... I'm not sure if I've gotten the best seat possible or the worst.

My new seat is just a single behind my old one. It really isn't much of a move. Pathetic, even. I sit down at my new spot and sigh, pulling out my math notebook to doodle in, when suddenly...

"Oh, I've gotten this seat..." My head snaps upwards at the sound of her voice. Ah! She's right there, beside me! She's about to sit down right next to me in the flesh and blood... and I'm drawing in a notebook filled with her face. Quickly I close it and shove it back into my desk.

"A-Are you sure it's that one?" I ask. She glances up and our eyes meet and... well, I'll be darned if it isn't one of the best moments of my life.

She shows me her paper, a small square with a large seventeen drawn on it. On the diagram, it's right beside nineteen, which happens to be **my** number. Oh gee. Oh fuck. Azuki Miho is going to sit beside me for the next five months or so. I'll never be able to concentrate ever again. And to make it worse...

"Oh, hey, Saiko!" he says, tapping my shoulder. "I got the seat right behind yours! Nice, huh?" I don't even pay attention to him. I'm busy staring at her like some creep, watching her stack her school books inside her desk. I guess Takagi must have followed my gaze because he laughs. "Gee, Saiko, this seems like your luckiest seat change ever!"

"Is it?" I ask more to myself than to him. If I keep staring at Azuki like this, she's going to eventually notice and she'll be creeped out. I'm not a creep!

Maybe I jinxed myself just now, but she suddenly looks up and meets my eye. We stare at each other for a few moments and she smiles at me. Holy fucking god, she's smiling at me. Her face is absolutely perfect- she is the epitome of perfection, it seems! Ah, what she must be thinking of me!

I try for a weak smile, but I think it may have turned into a grimace. Shit. Let's try this again. I stretch my lips out further and again attempt a smile. Suddenly she giggles. "Mashiro-kun, you're so funny~!" I think... those words may have just killed me.

"Th-Thank you?" I stutter, my face heating up to a rosy shade. She giggles again, then sits down.

I didn't even realize I'd stood up and I quickly follow her example. As soon as I sit, though, I hear, "Smooth." Takagi was watching the whole thing! "That was quite the smile just now. Sexy at its maximum," he mutters sarcastically, laughing at himself.

"Shut up!" My face may have turned even redder now thanks to him. "Besides, you probably can't do any better!"

He gives me this strange smirk, like he knows something I don't. "Nope, I probably can't do any better at all. I suppose you'd have to be the judge of that in the end."

I blink. "What's that supposed to mean?" He's still smirking at me, that idiot, but he says nothing.

Finally he murmurs, "I don't even know myself quite what I meant by that. I suppose you'll have to wait and see."

"No thanks, I'm fine without."

For a moment he almost seems offended, but then his smile widens even more so. "Being behind you like this, it'll be much easier to politely ask you to copy a note down for me, won't it?"

"... I hate this new seat."

"You don't, you little liar," he laughs and I bring my gaze back to Azuki. She's so beautiful, even though she's only staring off into space. I can only wonder what it is she's thinking about. In a way, though very unlikely, I hope I'm appearing somewhere within her thoughts. I wouldn't mind being called cute if _**she**_were the one calling me so.

"Aw, look how cute you are, blushing like that!"

"Shut up, Takagi-kun."

* * *

"For today," Takagi says, shoving books into my arms, "I only want you to do those two worksheets in math that she gave us as well as the English word study assignment. These here are my notebooks that you shall protect with your life. Should you 'forget' to do an assignment, I will tell Azuki-chan a little more about her admirer." He winks at me mischievously. Gross.

"It's weird, but I've kind of gotten used to you now," I say. "I'm used to the constant pain in my ass now."

"You have pain in your ass? You should probably see a doctor about that." Oh how he enjoys doing this to me.

"You know what I meant."

"You don't believe I'm simply a pain up your ass. If you ask me, I think it's a lot more complicated, isn't it?"

"That seems a good way to describe it." We don't have anything more to say, so we simply stand there staring at each other. It's strange, but I can't seem to pull my gaze away. Why is he studying me so intensely?

He grins at me. "You know, you're pretty damn cute when you smile. You should try doing it more often." I'm not smiling though. How would he know I look cute when I smile if he's never really even seen me smile? It seems obvious the answer to that, but I refuse to think about it.

Strangely enough, I don't snap anything back at him. I just let him stare. It's the end of classes and everyone is leaving. Suzuki and Matsuda don't wait up for me, running wildly so not to miss the beginning of their perverted movies. Azuki was one of the first to leave. Soon, it'll be just he and I alone in this room.

"I don't need to smile to you," I finally mumble. Even the teacher is gone now.

He smirks at me. "Maybe I should force you, then. If you don't smile right now, and I mean a genuine-looking smile, I'll let Azuki know her admirer sits nearby." There's that gleam in his amber eyes once again.

"What difference does it make if I smile or not?" He's so annoying!

"It makes all the difference, Saiko. My life depends on it." I shoot him a look and he laughs. "You never know; maybe it does!" How can you smile genuinely when you feel like clobbering a specific someone? "Just think happy thoughts, Saiko!"

"I told you already not to call me that!" I hiss at him.

He pauses, cocking his head. "Why did the chicken cross the road?"

I frown. "Huh?"

"Why did the chicken cross the road?" he repeats, pushing up his glasses.

"To get to the other side." Why's he suddenly asking jokes?

"Why did the chicken cross the playground?" he asks next.

I send him a look. "Because... I don't know. To get to the other side again."

"To get to the other _slide_." He grins at his own joke and I'll admit my face softens slightly. "Why did the turkey cross the road?"

"Why?" I ask.

"It was the chicken's day off." Heh... that was actually funny. The shine his eyes take proves I'm getting closer to actually smiling. I try my best to force on a frown. "Why did the moose cross the road?"

"How many road crossing jokes do you have?" I ask.

"A lot. So why did the moose cross the road?"

"I don't know."

"He doesn't either." Pfft, that's stupid. "You're smiling!" he says, pointing his finger in my face.

"No, I'm not." I still am right now, but that doesn't matter. I guess I'm just suddenly in a good mood.

He pauses for a moment, then starts a new joke. "What's brown, flies around, and eats honey?"

I shake my head. "I don't know... a fly?"

"A bear- I lied about the flying part."

"That's not even funny!"

"You're laughing anyway."

"I'm not laughing!" I insist. "I'm just chuckling at your stupidity."

"That was a big word just now. Does your head need some time to reboot?" He pulls out his tongue just to show he's teasing me. I roll my eyes and his suddenly widen.

"... What is it?" I ask after a few moments of his staring. It's kind of scaring me, actually.

To my astonishment, he averts his gaze and actually blushes! I never knew such a person _could_ get embarrassed! "Just now, you were smiling. For real, I mean." He shakes his head. "You have no idea how tempting you look when you smile like that."

I hesitate a little before asking, "Tempting? An odd choice of words."

He just looks at me, his expression completely serious. It actually makes me nervous! "I was raised never to lie," is all he says before he takes his bag and leaves.

"W-Wait!" I call out to him in the hall. "What's that supposed to mean?!" He just keeps on walking. Fine then, so he wants to be cryptic! I'll figure it out tomorrow morning then. Surely he'll confess once I bug him enough. Wait... "Are you going to be waiting for me tomorrow morning too?" I ask.

He pauses in the hall and turns slightly. Even from here I can see the arrogant smirk on his lips. "If you want me so bad, then sure." ... AH! What have I done?! No use protesting, though, right? He won't listen, no matter what I say.

Already I found my wills crumbling. It was almost as if I _wanted_ him over- though I don't. No way.

Certain he isn't looking, I subtly brush my hand over my crotch to check. Damn, there it is again, just like yesterday! It's ridiculous- what exactly is it he says that seems to turn me on? It's probably still remnants of Azuki's presence, I decide, and leave it at that.

Rather quickly, this seems to be becoming a routine.

* * *

_A/N: Slightly rushed, sorry. I think this might be longer than the last one, though. Lucky you! I can't help but wonder if Takagi will make his move next chapter... Maybe. ;) Oh, and am I the only one who finds it cute how innocent Mashiro really is? He got a boner just from dreaming of confessing to Azuki. Aw!_

**Review Replies:**

**fuegoglacio: **_Haha, now you know! Ha, frogboned… XD I like that. I very much like your little poem at the end there too. Not quite lemon time yet, but soon… ;)_

**Orcux: **_I try, I try… XD Thank you very much1 Yes, I promise, lemon time will come… (Pfft, come. I'm sorry. XD)_

**p. ageha: **_Yes, yes I can. I hope you liked it!_

**hana97: **_I know, right? o-o Why isn't this fandom more popular?! There isn't nearly enough Mahiro x Takagi here… Sigh. Well, I suppose you're welcome, and I hope you enjoy it!_

**meowmixmonster: **_Thank you very much~!_

* * *

**Please Review!**


	3. Smile

**Because Pick-up Lines are Overrated**

_A/N: You know, it's been a long time since I've written pure fluff. I was reading the last chapter over to see where I left off and sat there for a moment thinking, 'I wrote this?' It's such an odd change from my usual darker-themed stories, but I think it's a good change. ^^ I can only hope you readers will think the same._

* * *

**Chapter III: Smile  
**

* * *

It's been a week since he made me smile.

That stupid smart-ass hasn't been _as_ annoying as he'd been then, which I'm grateful for, but at the same time, I'm slightly disappointed; I can no longer accuse him of sexually harassing me. How pleasant a picture it would be to watch him get driven away in a police cab, haha! Just imagining it brings a smile to my face, though if he sees it, he doesn't comment on it.

It's math class and I'm busy copying _his_ note down while he reads a stupid book. He's reading manga! Seriously?! The smartest kid of the fucking twenty-first century is reading manga?! Tch... How stupid. You'd think he'd be finding a cure to cancer or planning world domination or SOMETHING, but no, he's reading fucking manga! I refuse to accept something so normal out of a person so twisted. No, just no.

As the teacher drones on about... what is this? Square roots? Sure, okay. As the teacher drones on about square roots (I think), I can't help but constantly glance at the goddess beside me every five seconds. She's just... perfect. Even her calligraphy is flawless!

She almost always writes with the same pen, I've noticed. Its base is purple but from its mid to its top, the pen is a shining silver. The ink it uses is standard blue ink. If she ever uses a pencil, she uses a typical pale wooden HB pencil. Her eraser is heart-shaped and her sharpener is yellow. I swear I'm not being creepy by knowing this, I... I just do.

I love her writing. She writes in cursive, yet you can actually read it! Her letters are perfectly distanced, her Os perfect circles, her Ls perfect loops. I feel jealous of her writing actually, though its girlish characteristics would suit me poorly. I can't write in English cursive. I can barely manage English standard! My kanji is always too small and squished together too and people often can't read it well. 'Does that say _hitori_ or _atsui_?' The worst part is when sometimes, not even _I _can tell.

Takagi's English is as good as his Japanese- you'd think he were fluent! (Then again, as a terrible English student myself, I really can't tell...) His writing is perfectly neat, not slanting and all perfect sized. How fast does he write, I wonder. Does he take his time to make sure his A isn't too close to his O, that his N doesn't look too much like an M? Honestly, you'd think he types his notes by computer if not for the thinner lines and dark blue penning.

"Mashiro-kun, in English, I'd like you to tell me the square-root of sixty-four. Full sentence!"

I stand up awkwardly, banging my desk noisily on the way up. My pen falls to the ground but goes unheard under the murmurs of laughter. "E-Eto... _Te sukaru ruuto obu sikusuti-foru isu... eh... eto..."_

"Yes, correct!"

I blink and stare at him. "What?"

The teacher smiles. "_Eight_, Mashiro-kun. That is the correct answer! You may sit down now."

"..." I sit. Azuki giggles at my stupidity and my cheeks burn in embarrassment.

"The answer is _eight_," Takagi tries to explain. "With a Japanese accent, it comes out as _eito_. When you said _eto_ to mean you were thinking, it sounded like the answer to the question." He smirks. "Therefore, you actually sounded smart for once."

My face heats. "I'm not stupid!" I snap. "I get the right answer more often than I get a wrong one, you know!"

"Not when it comes to English."

I turn to stare at him but he's already resumed his reading. ... How did he know?

I hear another giggle and I spin back to Azuki. Her laugh is so cute, unlike the smart-ass's stupid cackle. She even brings her hand in front of her mouth like one with manners should, and you can bet Takagi never does!

We both smile at each other without saying anything and then both look away at the same time. I'm so surprised by that that I glance back at her again- at the same time she glances back at me.

"Oh," she says in her cute little voice. Her eyes fold in amusement and she giggles again.

Oh fuck. My dick.

I finally break our gaze and focus on finishing the note on the board. She watches me for a few more seconds before losing interest. There it is, our moment is gone. My heart is still racing.

"Haven't you been paying attention, Tashimoto-chan?!" The teacher sighs dramatically. "I guess I have no choice but to call on the prodigy... Takagi-san, could you please answer the question in Tashimoto-chan's place?"

Takagi looks up from his book looking startled and confused. He seems to figure out his situation quickly enough and asks, "Sensei, could you please repeat the question?"

Everyone seems surprised; Takagi never needs to ask for anything. Has no one noticed the book in his lap? "I'd like to know the square root of seven-hundred and twenty-nine, in English. Be sure to use a-"

"Full sentence, of course." Takagi pauses to solve the equation in his head. "_The square root of seven-hundred and twenty-nine_," he says in his stupidly perfect English, "_is twenty-seven... _ne?"

The teacher nods. "Correct!"

I roll my eyes at him. "You're such a stupid show-off," I mumble, and he smirks. Not that I cared enough to look. Of course not.

As the teacher continues to quiz our class I begin to daydream, and as a result, doodle. I wasn't really paying much attention to what I was doing until I hear Azuki's melodious giggling. When I glance down at the paper I find a sketch of Sensei dressed up in royal attire yelling out '2 + 2 = 5' in a speech bubble. Ah, he's cosplaying as the king in Takeshi's Castle! Heh... That's actually kind of funny.

Because I have Azuki's attention, I decide to keep drawing. I draw a simple version of myself in Mario cosplay, crying in a corner, as Sensei, dressed up as Bowser, yells a bunch of English words at me (which, knowing my skills, are probably all misspelled). Azuki giggles some more, so I add a Takagi-version of Magikoopa to Sensei's right. She smiles, but doesn't laugh. Hm... Behind the pair, I draw a giant bird cage. She watches me curiously as I sketch out a quick chibi-like body. Finally as I fill in the details she recognizes herself as Princess Peach.

"Is that me?" she asks quietly.

I cock my head and nod. Her smile is so beautiful, it brightens my entire day.

"Wow... Mashiro, I didn't know you could draw!" She looks so excited!

'Yeah, my uncle was a manga artist, so...' No, I can't show off like that, she'll find me arrogant! "U-Um, thanks..." I blush pathetically, yet for some reason, she blushes too. I know why _I'm_ embarrassed, but what is _she_ embarrassed for?

Unable to stand the awkwardness, we both avert our gazes. Oh gosh...

"I see the lovebirds are doing well."

Shit! Takagi! Thankfully Azuki didn't hear. I glare at him with all my might, which makes him laugh his stupid laugh that isn't near as nice as Azuki's. "I just noticed you were drawing on my notes, so I figured I had to punish you somehow." He has this stupid gleam in his eyes that pisses me off.

"Punish me?! Fuck, you sound like Suzuki's shitty hentai magazines!" Oh fuck, I didn't mean to swear in front of Azuki. She looks over at us curiously, listening into our conversation. "Don't say anything," I warn, "or you're dead."

"Oh, I'm terrified!" he says in a mocking high-pitched tone. "Hi, Azuki!" That **ASS**! He waves casually as if I didn't **just** tell him not to say anything! That fucking stupid ass-hole, argh!

Azuki nervously waves back to him, hiding her face. She glances at me uncertainly and lets out a small 'hello' in her cute whispery voice. Oh fuck. It's impossible to get any cuter than Azuki is at this moment.

"Do you have your note copied down alright?" Takagi asks, "Because if not, Saiko would be more than happy to help." He grins. "He does such a good job, too! He volunteered himself to write the note down for me as soon as I told him my hand felt sore... He's such a nice guy, don't you think?"

As soon as school is over I'm going to punch this guy so hard, he won't remember his stupid-ass name! I sure as **hell** didn't volunteer for this shit! Hell no, I couldn't let him fool Azuki into thinking that I-

"Y-Yes, he _is_ a very nice guy..." ... What? Her face flushes a beautiful pink color and she turns back around, forcing her shoulders forward nervously. Aw, she's even trying to hide her face! How cute!

"... You _did_ hear that just now, didn't you?"

"Hm?" Ew, Takagi... Takagi just **has** to ruin my perfect moment of creepy observation without any kind of warning. Stupid! The day he becomes Azuki Miho is the day I'll pay any willing attention to _him_. Tch!

"Dude. Did you _not_ just hear what she said, or were you too busy staring at her like some creep to listen?" From the corner of my eye, I see Azuki's head rise a little. Oh god, she's eavesdropping on us...!

"Shut up!" I whisper hushly. "Just... shush!"

Takagi rolls his eyes. "Here, just start copying that math note in _your_ notebook now. I'll listen and make sure you don't miss anything." His eyes drift over to my cute Azuki-chan and back. "Stay focused," he says sternly, his expression as serious as a teacher's.

I stick my tongue out at him and his mask breaks into a smile. "Come on, stupid," he laughs, "Do your work."

I turn back around quickly and let myself smile. He can't see it like this. He can't call me cute when he can't see it either. I will never let him see me smile.

"You don't have to hide it," I hear whispered in my ear. THE FUCK?! There he is, leant way over his desk just to say something stupid to me again. "You don't have to hide your face from me when you smile," he says again, his eyes sparkling mischievously. "I've told you already, you're cute when you smile."

I turn away from him. "Yeah, and that's exactly the reason why I don't smile in front of you, you creep."

He shrugs and retreats back into his desk, but I can still feel my heart racing inside my chest. Shit...

...I am not cute.

* * *

The bell rings, signifying the end of the day. _Finally_.

It's become a routine now for me to wait until everyone has left, for surely, he'll have something to tell me. Stupid Takagi... Stupid!

"You know she likes you, right?"

How could he say such a thing now?! She wasn't even completely out the classroom! "What are you talking about?" I snap.

He stupidly struts around to the desk in front of me and plops himself down, smiling as he always does. "Azuki. Azuki likes you."

I blush. "N-No she doesn't... Stop it. Don't say things like that!"

"You don't see it?" he asks.

"No! I don't see it! You're just imagining things, you stupid stupid-person!"

He rolls his eyes with a 'whatever' and pulls out two notebooks. "I'll have you do my math work as well as the English homework- on second thought, let's switch that to the Japanese." He just loves bringing that up, my inability to do anything English at all. Wonderful. "You should consider yourself grateful, Saiko!" he says cheerfully. "I'll be doing the rest myself tonight, so you get pretty much half off! Aren't I generous?"

"No, you're not," I mumble, "and stop calling me Saiko!"

"Why not? Everyone else does."

"Only my _friends_ do." I point at him. "You and I," I gesture between us, just to make sure he gets the message, "are not friends. NO. We are not."

He shrugs. "Well, you're _my_ friend." He winks stupidly at me. I can only roll my eyes in response. "Do you really hate me that much, Saiko?"

"Yes."

"No, I'm being serious." He waits until I look up again. His amber eyes lose their sparkle as he asks once more, "Do you hate me, Saiko?"

Fuck. While I hate it when he acts stupid, I hate it even more when he acts serious. What can I do now? I mean, I can't just say yes, that would be rude, and I sure as hell don't want to get the teacher's favorite student upset, yet at the same time, if I say no, he'll take it the wrong way. He's ego would bloat like some stupid balloon.

"No," I finally say, exasperated by him. "I don't _hate_ you... in fact, I don't hate anybody. So..."

"So that means you like me." Oh _great_, his mischievous air is back to him. He bites down on his tongue, probably holding back a laugh.

"No! Of course I don't _like _you, stupid!" I massage my temples in frustration. "You're too stupid to like, stupid..."

"Oh come on!" He cocks his head. "You know, I'm at least not too stubborn to say _I_ like you. I don't lie about such important things." He takes on one of those 'I-know-something-you-don't-know' looks, gazing at me like I'm some naive five-year-old.

"I should have just said I hate you," I mumble, averting my gaze from him. Stupid Takagi...

"I mean it, you know." Hm. "Even if you're telling the truth and you really _do_ hate me, I still like you. Really."

"Just shut up!" I yell at him, my face red. "What are you, confessing your undying love to me?! You sound like some stupid girl movie!"

"... Actually, yes."

I stare at him. Well, glare at him, more like. "What did you just say?"

He shrugs and smiles, standing up. "You'd better start on that homework, Saiko~! You know what'll happen if you don't finish on time!" He takes a few steps towards the door, preparing to leave.

"W-Wait!" I grab my back and run after him. "Wait, what did you mean just now when you said...?"

He pauses and looks back at me curiously. After some hesitation he says, "It was just a joke."

"That's what I thought," I mumble, and he leaves the room.

As soon as he's out of sight, I run a crotch check. You see? Today, everything down there is normal. _I'm_ normal today. _He's _the weird one.

I sigh and hoist my bag higher up my shoulder. We don't live too far away from each other, yet we never walk home together. Huh. I've only just realized this now. Does he do that on purpose?

It doesn't matter. I wouldn't want him to walk home with me anyway.

And yet, even so, as I begin my journey home I can't help but feel slightly lonely. Late students are running or walking down the halls, all heading for the same destination as I, and yet I'll bet not one of them would ever call me 'cute'- or at least, not to my face. They probably don't know nearly as many road-crossing jokes either.

You know... maybe it's not a bad thing to be as weird as Takagi.

**Maybe.**

* * *

_A/N: Wow, Takagi. You are one brave soul._

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**Review Replies:**

**Megan**: _Haha, I'm glad my story 'FEELS'. XD How are you liking the manga so far?_

**TheSecondOtherGuy: **_I'm not sure if that's a good O_O or a bad O_O, but thank you for the O_O anyways! ^^_

**ILOVEMARKAXEL: **_Well then, I'm glad you like it! ^^_

**Fuegoglacio: **_Oh my. XD I didn't even look at it that way. Why, you may surpass me! XD Pain in the ass… Ahaha! I may have to use that! And yes, he will. ^^ Sooner or later, Mashiro will fall victim to Takagi's charms (?). I promise~! Subliminal message boners, ahaha! Damn, you're funny! XD There wasn't much yaoi or… well, much of anything in this chapter, but I hope you liked it anyway! ^^ _

**Ra9wr: **_(*cough*THAT'SWHATSHESAID*cough*) Why, thank you~! _

**Isa-kagamine: **Jaja, yo no sé mucho español, pero me alegro de que parecía que le gustaba! Y por favor, no te mueras! XD Gracias por el review! ;)

**Nightowl-daydreamer: ** _Wow. I am your first fanfiction for the Bakuman fandom? That is just… awesome. Wow. O.O Thank you for the honor!_

**Titania48: **_I'm glad you like it! ^^_

**Wally: **_Th-They must kiss? … I'm sorry, they didn't kiss THIS chapter, but, um… Maybe next chapter? o-o" You want more Eiji, huh? Hmm… I'll see where I can fit him in. ;) Any specific Eiji pairing you like? Tell me, okay? ^^ And yes, that manga was absolutely amazing. I was devastated when it ended…_

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**Small Notes:**

**Eto...: '**Eto' is the Japanese equivalent of the English 'Uh...' sound. I believe 'Ano' is the equivalent of the 'Um' sound. It may be the other way around, but it doesn't really matter.

**Takeshi's Castle: **Takeshi's Castle is basically the Japanese Wipeout. The game starts with a hundred participants rather than twenty-four and though Takeshi's Castle doesn't pay as much attention to each individual contestant the way Wipeout does (I don't think they even interview their players beforehand in TC), there is a lot more variety in the courses. I like it a lot more than Wipeout. You should look it up! ^^ Oh, and as for that mention of the king in Takeshi's Castle, one more difference is that TC has some kind of mascot for the show. I believe his name is General Li, but I'm not certain... He basically just watches over everyone, shouts things out once in a while, and is the show's rule explainer (to the contestants).

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**Reviews would be lovely.**


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